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For K-12 Students · Reactor Kinetics

Reactor Kinetics for a uranium enrichment

Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a uranium enrichment live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Reactor Point KineticsLive

power, reactivity & period

Controls

Presets

Reactivity ρ

Speed1×

A small step in reactivity does not blow the power up instantly, because a fraction of neutrons are released with a delay. Those delayed neutrons slow the response to a controllable timescale — the reactor period. But push reactivity past the delayed fraction β and it goes prompt-critical, growing on the neutron lifetime — millisecond-fast and uncontrollable.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Reactivity0.15 $

Regimedelayed (controllable)

Power1.00e+0

Governing equation

\frac{d n}{d t} = \frac{ρ - β}{Λ} n + i \sum λ_{i} C_{i} (ρ = 0.0010, β = 0.0065)

Reading this result: Positive but below β — delayed neutrons stretch the response onto a stable, controllable reactor period.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for k-12 students?: Yes — this version of "Reactor Kinetics for a uranium enrichment" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.